Hazel Kent
"I'm happy look at me!" Hazel was a former inmate at Wentworth Detention Centre, who had troubles remaining sober throughout her run in the series. When Hazel gets released from Wentworth her health declines to the point she moves into Driscoll House and is mercy killed by Judy when she reveals her brain tumour is terminal. Hazel was played by Belinda Davey Life in Prison Hazel was initially a background prisoner. Originally her function was to be one of the only prisoners who would talk to Kay White, who had been the cause of the other prisoners losing their work release. Hazel wanted to buy drugs from Kay, as she had sold some to Heather "Mouse" Trapp. Hazel was a pretty quiet prisoner, usually not one to cause trouble, she allied herself with Bea Smith, and even helped in The Great Tunnel Escape at the end of 1980. Bea, Lizzie Birdsworth, Doreen Burns, Judy Bryant, and Mouse all planned to escape down a drain found in the garden, while the rest of the women were putting on a concert for local children. Hazel, dressed as a clown, lead a sing along with the children, singing a slightly slower than normal version of "Nick Nack Paddywack", allowing the other women time to escape. Separation While not a main character, Hazel eventually evolved into one of the shows secondary characters, only appearing as part of somebody's storyline, although we eventually learn that she has two children, Johnny and Barbie. Her partner George Goscombe is a stepfather to her children. George eventually announces that he is planning to marry his housekeeper and seeing as hes legally adopted Hazels children, apply for full custody. Hazel naturally goes berzerk and ends up attacking Officer Bailey, and ends up in solitary under heavy sedation and then transferred to D block (268). Arrival at Driscoll House Eventually Hazel gets released, and stays at the first Driscoll House(330). She is sharing a room with a newcomer named Jean Carter, and discovers a lot of money in Jean's belongings. Hazel steals some, and is arrested when she tries to spend it, as the serial numbers have been recorded - the notes were stolen in a bank robbery. Hazel's confession gets altered to make it look like she committed the crime, and she gets sent to Wentworth, for one of Jean's crimes. Another Prisoner, Paddy Lawson, breaks the no-lagging rule to tell Mrs Davidson the truth about Jean. Hazel is still sentenced to two weeks, but as she has served the time, she is allowed to go free. (Note: Jean Carter, was actually Nola McKenzie) Hazel decides to forget about living at Driscoll House again and decides to try and make it on her own. She turns up again, however, when Judy Bryant and Meg Jackson find her drunk in a bar. She finds an abandoned baby on the back step and tries to claim the baby is her own. Eventually the child is revealed to belong to Judy's daughter Lori and Hazel is last seen at the halfway house drunkenly lecturing Lori's husband Geoff on the sanctity of marriage (346), and then disappearing without explanation. A Sad Ending Hazel's final stretch of episodes came when she turned up at Driscoll House suffering from a terminal brain tumour. She had been living in a caravan and was unable to bear the pain any longer. She decided to end her life, and asked Judy to help her commit suicide as Hazel had turned blind from the brain tumour. Hazel died from an overdose of painkillers (399). Hazel is mentioned and seen in Judys flashbacks in episode 534, when Judy remembers the sad ending of Hazels life while when she is waiting for her parole hearing. Notes *Belinda Davey also played the nurse in the very early episodes of Prisoner. Look out for her examining the cigarette burns on Karen Travers' back in the first episode -- a classic example of how the prisoners spoke "rough". *Hazel joins Margo Gaffney, Mouse (Heather Trapp), Lou Kelly, Alice Jenkins and others who are characters that began as background extras. Category:Inmates Category:Protagonists Category:Dead Characters Category:Background Extras Category:Females Category:1980 Arrivals Category:1983 Departures Category:Halfway Houses Category:Background Characters Category:Blind Category:Sandy Edwards Riot Category:1980s Characters Category:D Block Category:PCBH Characters Category:Drunks Category:Alcoholics Category:Promotional Characters Category:Deceased